A radio documentary about the French Creole migration to Northern California

Blair Kilpatrick & Steve Tabak

Blair Kilpatrick and Steve Tabak at their home in Berkeley, CA. Photo by John Noltner.

Blair Kilpatrick, a psychologist, and Steve Tabak, a teacher, are part of the new wave of non-Creoles playing Louisiana French music in the Bay Area. The couple discovered the music during a trip to New Orleans, which triggered a chain of events that landed them in Northern California. Kilpatrick studied under Creole accordionist Danny Poullard, who hosted regular jam sessions in his garage. She chronicled her journey in the book Accordion Dreams. She and Tabak (who plays fiddle) founded the band Sauce Piquante and try to carry on Poullard’s legacy by hosting jam sessions in their Berkeley home. In this outtake, they talk about the swamp tour that changed their lives.